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C. C. LYMAN.

Platform Scales.

Patented July 16, 1867.

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'G. C. liYb'lrlN, 0F EDINBORO, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent 1V0. 66,722, dated July 16, 1867.

PLATFORM-SCALES.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, O. C. LYMAN, of Edinboro, in the county of Erie, andState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful improvementsin Platform Scales; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fulland complete description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in 'which-Figure 1 is a top view of the scale.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts.

In fig. 1, A isthe bed or framework of the scales, in which is arrangedthe platform B, which is raised and lowered in the frame, in order tothrow the weight upon or of the scale-beam or bearings B, by which it isconnected to the balance, in the box C, in the manner as follows: On thecross-sill 0,,fig. 2, is arranged a pair of inclined planes or wedges,E, each of which is provided with a rack, F. These planes are placedbetween the cheeks of the stays G, in which they traverse backward andforward,'and by which they are kept from being laterally displaced, andalso guided in their reciprocal movements. H (fig. 2) is a shaft, havingits foot hearing in a step between the two inclined planes, or ratherthe racks of the planes, whereas the upper end is supported in positionby the stay I. To this shaft is keyed a grooved wheel, J, and acog-wheel, K, said cog-wheel being so placed on the shaft as to bring itbetween the racks referred to, and by which they are operated, as willhereafter be shown. Each end of the frame is alike provided with thesame arrangement of gearing, and which are connected to each other andoperated conjointly-hy a rope or chain, L. It will be observed that thechain is not continuous, and thus simply passing around the pulleys, butconsists of-two separate pieces, the end of each being fastened in theperiphery of the pulley, a groove being provided for each chain, thusmaking a. double-grooved pulley, as shown in fig. 2, in which J is thepulley and L the chains. These two sets of pulleys are operated by athird one, indicated by the dotted lines a on the plane of the wheel M,fig. 1, M being a handwheel keyed to theupper end of the shaft N, fig.2, and to the lower end of which is the pulley referred to. This pulleyconnects with the pulley J by chains or ropes N, and which are attachedto the periphery of each in the same way as above described. By thisarrangement it will be evident that, on turning the hand-wheel in thedirection indicated by the arrow, the rope will wind up around thepulley a, and in so doing cause the pulleyJ to turn in the samedirection, and thus wind up the rope or chain around it; this in turnwill cause the pulley J to turn and wind up the rope L, and so on; Thereverse movement of the pulley M will cause a corresponding reversion inthe movement of the other pulleys. It will be evident that as thepulleys J J rotate, the cog-wheel K will also revolve, and in so doingwill move the racks F backward or forward, and thus push the inclinedplanes toward the sides of the'frame, or draw them back, according tothe rotation of the pulleys. The sills of the platform B are made toreach over the top of the stays G, so that when the inclined planes orwedges are pushed out toward the sides of the frame, they will slideunder them, and thus raise the platform upward from its bearings,lifting the weight from off the scale or balance, and causing it to restupon the inclined planes, solidly and securely, upon the cross-sills C.This moving of the inclined planes in opposite directions, equally andsimultaneously, wedges or raises up and lowers the platform, withoutpushing it sidewise or lengthwise, thus allowing the said platform todrop freely, leaving the cheeks loose at all times.

The peculiar advantage of this improvement is in elevating the platformof truck-scales, thereby allowing engines and heavyfreight to pass overthe scale without touching the scale-bearings, unless needed forweighing, in which case it is easily and readily adjusted in the manneras above described, either for weighing or not, as occasion may require.It will be obvious that the inclined plane or wedges can be operatedwithout the aid of the pulley a and hand-wheel M, by simply extendingthe length of the shaft H above the platform and turning the same with awrench constructed for that purpose, and that'without in the leastchanging the nature of the invention, viz, the using of wedges orinclined planes for the purpose above specified; and so also the racksby which the wedges are operated may be dispensed with, and a screwsubstituted in place therefor, and that, too, without efi'ecting anychange in the purpose of an inclined plane or wedges being used forraising the platform from its hearings in the manner as above described,the application of a cam operating the same with a lever, screw, or byany appropriate device, and though with less advantage and convenience,still with good results. The plan usually adopted for relieving theplatform from its bearings is to lower-the bearings down away from theplat form, by the application of an arrangement of levers on itspermanent rest. 'On the contrary, in the scale ahove descrihed theplatform is lifted fro-m the bearings by the application of thewedges-adevice never before introduced in the scale.

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. The rack F, inclined plane's E, and cog-wheel K, as arranged, incombination with the platform B, for the purpose and in the manner asset forth.

2. The grooved pulley J, and rope -L or its equivalent, as arranged, andoperating the pulley J in the manner and for the pi'irpose described.

3. I claim the use of inclined planes or their equivalents, for thepurpose of raising and lowering the platform, substantially asspecified.

- C. O. LYMAN.

Witnesses:-

W. H. Bunnxoon, J. Homes.

